A Raven's Journey
by windwalker28
Summary: What will happen when 14 y/o Adena Ah-den-ah enters Hogwarts in 4th year? Find out! Follows most events of the story, but with my own little twists : enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, but I do own my character Adena.**

Chapter 1.

I collapsed on all fours. My breathing was ragged and I kept choking on my thoughts. My salty tears formed rivers down my face. They we're making little lakes on the pavement in front of me. I couldn't comprehend it. It was too much to bear. _My _parents? Dead? It wasn't possible. They were freaking _magic_ for crying out loud! There was no way this was true.

I looked up at the man who had just brought me to my knees at this news. He was in a tan leather-looking trench coat. Those sunglasses had had me suspicious before he had even stepped foot on my lawn….

I had been just minding my own business, staring out my window just daydreaming about Emily and what she would be up to when I caught sight of him checking out my mail box. I thought that was strange, but maybe he had just gotten our mail by mistake and just wanted to return it, or something as minor as that. I couldn't have been more wrong.

I just walked outside and asked him, "Excuse me, can I help you?"

He just looked at me sadly and answered my question with another question, "Are you Adena Browning?"

Still assuming it had something to do with the mail, I replied with a smile, "Yes, I am. And you are…?"

"Gregory Benson. I'm a lawyer. I have some unfortunate news, Ms. Browning. I would request to continue this inside, but I know once I deliver my news, you will wish to be in my company no longer."

This is when I really started to get uncomfortable and confused. What was up with this guy? Why is he talking all weird? And what the heck is this news he has to deliver?

"Adena", he said in a softer voice, taking off his equally tan bowler hat, "Your parents have died in a fire. They we're found trespassing in an abandoned building downtown.

"_St. Mungo's", _I thought.

"We're very sorry for your loss. We also realize you are only 14 and cannot legally take care of yourself. We are placing you in the custody of your brother. You must move in with him immediately. We will make sure that…"

After that I couldn't focus anymore. That is also when I fell to the sidewalk on my hands and knees. My mind was blank. Recalling those events had just made them seem twice as real. Everything was so bright. It was like someone was drawing this scene and had just switched from pastel to neon colors within seconds. I didn't know what to do now.

When he had finished talking, I stood up and thanked the man for stopping by. He shook my hand and patted my shoulder. He took off down the street rather quickly with a forlorn backward glance. I was too wrapped up in my own self-misery that I didn't care how sorry he was.

I went back inside my house locking the old, mahogany door behind me. I had lived here my whole life. How many times had I looked at this door? I had taken it's familiarity for granted. Actually, I had taken a lot of things for granted lately. One of the things the lawyer said floated back to me.

"We are placing you in the custody of your brother."

Taylor? He was going to take care of me. He lived in Britain. He had decided to go off to the fascinating country after he turned 18. He was now 20 and I don't see how he is supposed to take care of a 14 year old girl. He's still a kid himself. However, he was my only living relative. I had nowhere else to go. I guessed I should have been getting ready, but I couldn't bring myself to change the house in any way now that Mom and Dad were gone.

How was it going to be with them gone? I was no longer going to walk in the door on those summer days when I'm not in school and hear her singing in the kitchen while she cooks up something marvelous. Dad was no longer going to come home from working all day at St. Mungo's with Mom and plop onto the couch and wait for me to crawl into his lap like I have been since I was 3 years old.

I had wandered upstairs to my parent's room lost in thought and I found myself lying on their bed. There would be no more bouncing up and down in this bed on Christmas morning trying to get Mom and Dad up so we could open presents. I reminisced about all the times we had shared, good and bad. I was going to miss all of those memories so much. There would be no more of that. No more picnics by the lake with Mom when she wasn't working with Dad. No more.

My cell phone buzzed in my pocket, sending me leaping in the air and out of my fantasies. I checked the caller I.D. and it was none other than my brother. I quickly answered.

"Taylor", I said not knowing how I was going to explain this to him.

"Open the door", he said quickly and hung up.

I bolted down the matching mahogany staircase and unlocked the door. I took one look into my brothers gray eyes and fell into his arms. His heavily muscled arms locked around me in a protective embrace.

He let go first. He held me an arm's length away. He looked at me and asked, "Have you called Emily yet?"

I gasped. "Oh crap! Not yet. Hold on."

I ran up the stairs to the house phone and punch in the numbers before my brain can even register what they are. She picked up the phone after half a ring.

"Mornin', Adena. What's goin' on", she asked me groggily. She just woke up.

"Mom and Dad are dead", I said quickly to keep the pain in check.

"I'll be there in two minutes", she said. She hung up quickly.

I heard the door open. Emily walked in and I could hear Taylor explain everything. This is just as well for me. I went to my room and curled up in my hammock/bed. I then drowned out the world with sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

I woke up in my bed with try tear trails down my face. I must have fallen asleep crying. I rolled over and yawned to find Emily cleaning off my walls. I wondered what she was doing and then it all came back to me. The fire. My parents. They were gone.

I choked back a sob, and that caught Emily's attention. She had fresh tears pouring down her face. "Hey", she said weakly placing a pile of brightly colored papers in a box on my white desk. My lime green walls were looking quite bare without all of my pictures and letters from various friends. My desk had also been cleaned up. I was so glad she had started cleaning everything off my walls for me. I wouldn't have been able to do it. She picked up a framed photo of my parents on their last vacation to Scotland. She placed it gently in the box and came to my bed. She sat down and began tracing the patterns on my quilt.

"There's really nothing we can do, is there?" she said in a soft, thick voice. You could tell she'd been crying.

"No, I don't think there is. It's not like I have anywhere to go other than with Taylor", I said sitting up and stretching.

She looked up from the quilt and gazed at me. "So, you're going to Britain?"

"What choice do I have?" I questioned. I got up and changed out of my day clothes. It was about 2 o' clock. I had been asleep for about 4 hours. I put on some fuzzy purple pajama shorts and a green camisole. I didn't plan on going anywhere today. I never wanted to go anywhere ever again.

"What's Taylor doing?" I asked listening out the door. I didn't hear anything, so I figured he was downstairs somewhere.

"He's cooking lunch. We figured you'd be hungry when you woke up" she said pulling her straight, blonde bangs back with bobby pins. Her bright blue eyes looked at me sadly. All of sudden, my stomach growled. I didn't see that one coming.

"Wow. That's getting a little creepy, you know", I said to her with a smile. I was referring to the fact that she and my brother knew me better than I knew myself. That was a major understatement, but I don't know how to put it any other way.

"Yeah, I know", she said with a quivering smile, "Come on, let's go eat."

We walked down the wide hallway. The white walls we're full of family pictures and the dark gray carpet was spotless. We walked down the stairs and turned right. We walked right into the living room. The television was on and I could hear a frying pan in the next room. We walked right through the homey living room into the country-style kitchen. The soft orange walls were welcoming and the wood floors we're gleaming. My mother was a very clean person. _Was._

I sat at the dark orange island on a wooden bar stool. Emily sat right next to me. Taylor set out 2 plates and served up some grilled cheese. I practically swallowed it whole and he put another one on my plate. I tore into that one and was finished before Emily had even finished her first.

I looked up at Taylor and asked him the question that had been nagging in the back of my head. "So, how long until I leave?"

He looked back at me quickly from the sink, his light brown hair falling in his eyes. "We're leaving tomorrow".

My jaw dropped. I didn't expect it to be that quick. I wasn't prepared at all. "What about the house? We can't just leave it!" I protested.

"Emily and I got the dining room cleared out and we're most of the way done with Mom and Dad's room. I had decided to make lunch when she went in to start on your room. It's most of the way done. We'll be done by the end of the night. We'll sleep here, and Emily's staying too, and then we will Apparate to Britain in the morning. We will have a meeting with your new headmaster and we will get everything arranged for school this year. We're going to get everything done, so you can have as much time to adjust to Britain as possible before school starts."

"What about Emily? Can she come to Britain and help me adjust?" I asked with a pleading look.

"Sorry Adena. I don't think that will happen", said Taylor turning away from me.

I just sighed. I knew it was a useless attempt. Emily had to get ready for school this year and I knew it. Plus, I don't think Emily's mom, Kasey, would too happy if I decided to randomly go across seas with Emily. Unlike Emily, Kasey was a muggle. No one knows about Emily's dad.

Emily stood up and went upstairs. I knew she was packing my room. I don't think I would be able to do it, and it just made me appreciate her all that much more. I stood up and went into the living room, where Taylor conjured up some boxes. I began packing up the pictures of my parents, me and Taylor that were on the TV stand.

"What are we going to do with all of this stuff, Taylor?" I asked him.

"It's going to my house", he yelled through the wall.

"Taylor? Why don't you seem upset about them?" I asked in that blunt manor I tend to have.

He looked at me gravely. "I am, but you are more distressed, I'm sure. I need to stay strong to take care of you. Emily is doing the same thing. She cries, but she's holding in a lot."

I turned away, ashamed that they felt the need to be strong for me. I can take care of myself. I'll be alright. I just need my time.

We had the whole house packed in no time. We slept in some sleeping bags on the floor that Emily brought with her. We tried to have a good time with it being the last night in this house, but mostly we just ended up comforting each other. Well, that's what I would like to think. To be quite honest, they mostly just comforted me. For some reason, that really annoyed me. I just wanted to be unhappy for a minute and not be a burden to anyone.

After Emily and Taylor had fallen asleep, I quietly got up and went outside. I went to my backyard and sat on the swing set. I looked up at the stars and thought about how much my life had changed in the last 12 hours. I was moving to Britain, and I wasn't going to be right down the street from the most important person in my life anymore. My house was to be turned over to some lucky buyer. I just hoped whoever got it put it to good use. I know how wonderful this house can be when someone just puts the love and effort into it. It just has a homey quality about it. I hope whoever gets this place will keep that quality about it. That's what makes this house amazing. I was going to miss it so much.

And the grief I felt for my parents was too great to put it into words. I felt like half a person. I felt as if someone had come up and cut off my arm, or permanently blinded me. I didn't know how to carry on now. Who was I going to go to for advice? My mom can't help me now, where ever she's at. And who is going to comfort me and make me laugh when I'm upset over silly things? My dad certainly won't be able to make me smile anymore unless it is something he has done in the past. There will be no more happy holidays or family reunions without them.

I heard our backdoor open and shut and I looked up alarmed. Emily walked out and sat next to me. We sat in the quiet dark. I looked down at the plush grass tickling my bare feet. I looked up at the hard metal poles that were suspending my swing in the air. I smelled the sweet dew of the early morning. I relished this whole sanctuary of comforting factors. And my best friend in the whole world just made it that much better. I was going to miss her so much.

We sat outside for a while without speaking. It was almost as if we were communicating without words, simply because there were no words that could describe the situation we were in. Without uttering a single word, we got up and hugged each other. That was it. Like silently closing a deal that nothing would ever, _ever_ come between us. Not even the Atlantic Ocean itself.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up on the floor of my living room. There was no confusion now. I knew exactly why the walls were blank the minute I woke up. I looked at Emily, who fell asleep with her arm reaching towards me. My heart saddened looking at it. I know I've said it a million times, but I'm going to say it again. I can't express how much I'll miss her. If you have anyone like Emily in your life, you'll understand.

I figured I wasn't going to be able to shut out the world in my thoughts forever, so I got up and began moving as stealthily as I could. Even with me being all sneaky-like, it couldn't keep Emily asleep. I swear she could wake up at the whisper of wind. She got up without saying anything and followed me to the kitchen. We went in and made coffee still not saying anything. We sat down at the island again and drank for a few minutes before she broke the silence.

"What are you gonna do?"

"Don't know," I replied putting my forehead on the cool countertop.

"I'm not going to let you do this alone, you know", she stated looking at me seriously. "We've been too good of friends for too long for me just to leave you hangin' like that."

"I just don't see how we're going to do it. I know we're going to be across the ocean and stuff, but that's not really what bothers me. I'm just going to miss looking at you across a lunch table and know exactly what's going through your head before you tell me. I don't think I'll ever have that connection with someone else, ever."

"Yeah, I'm pretty amazing", she said leaning back from the counter with her hands behind her head winking at me. I laughed

"No kidding. You're the best", I said leaning over to hug her again.

"Well, you'll just have to write me every day, I suppose", she said giving me an accusing look.

"Hey!" I said trying my hardest to look offended. "When you say it like that, you make it seem like I forget everything. She just rolled her eyes at me.

"Well, I guess we'd better get Taylor up. You're going to be leaving soon", she said pushing her stool away from the island.

"Yeah…." I said letting my voice trail off. I didn't want this to happen.

I slid across the floor in my socks, trying to make this the best I could. I jumped on my brother on the floor. I gave him a big smile and hugged him.

"Good morning, big brother", I said laughing at the incredulous look on his face. He sat up looking in a daze, and I got off of him. He rubbed his eyes and reminded me of a 4-year-old instead of the 5'10", stocky 20-year-old that he actually was. He looked up at me and realization lit up his face. He cleared his expression immediately, standing up in his pajamas. He went straight into the kitchen at the smell of coffee. I looked at Emily and gave her a questioning look. She shrugged her shoulders and we went into the kitchen after him. He looked at us when we walked in and put on a fake smile. Anyone could see through that. Still, he kept it up looking right at us with that phony smile.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked unconvincingly cheerful. I lifted my eyebrows at him, but he acted as if he hadn't seen it.

"Yeah…." I said playing along with whatever game he had going through his head. "We're all ready to go. We're just waiting on you."

"I think we'll leave in like 5 minutes. Just give me a second to get dressed and let me send a word to Dumbledore. He's going to be your new head master at Hogwarts. That'll be your new school. Don't worry; he'll explain it all when we see him."

"Alright, I'll go get ready", I said pulling Emily with me out of the kitchen. We went straight out the door. I was wearing shorts and a tank top, but it was still sweltering outside. We walked along the sidewalk under the lush, green trees.

"Race you!" I smiled and took off, running fast. The wind whipped my hair up, and I felt this burst of energy. I ran faster, and I saw Emily keeping up with me on my left side. I slowed down and we came to sit under a particularly large maple tree. We sat and laughed for a minute, both of us completely. We'd run about 5 blocks.

"What was that all about?" she said lying back against the tree.

"I just needed to feel alive."

"I know what you mean," she said looking up at me. I smiled and said "Okay, well I'm going to bet he's dressed. We've had our fun. It's time to go back to stupid reality."

We got up and briskly walked back to my house. By the time we got there, Taylor was tapping his foot, but he seemed to be holding out with his temper.

"Alright, I'm here", I said hurrying next to him.

"We need to get going, he's going to be at the house soon!"

"Alright, alright", I said rushing over to his arm. I took it and he spun on the spot. The last thing I saw was a tear running down Emily's face.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Suuppperrr sorry guys! I'm kinda new here, and I was trying to edit one little thing in this chapter and ended up deleting the whole thing! I'm not the brightest crayon in the crayon box, obviously. But, I've made some changes. Hopefully it will be nicer, and there won't be just one random big paragraph anymore, so here's the **_**new**_** chapter 4!**

I felt a strange, "being sucked through a too-small playground slide" sensation. I kept my eyes shut and I couldn't breathe. Right when my chest was really starting to ache for air, it all ended.

I fell onto a plush, tan carpet. I really didn't feel like getting up, so I made little swirls in the cotton-y fabric. My brother stepped over me and put my trunk away. In "my room" I guessed. He came back and tickled me until I got up. I'm extremely ticklish.

I walked around and checked the place out. There wasn't much more to see than what I saw at the entrance. There was a little living room, leading into a kitchen. There was a hallway attached to the living room, too. From the hallway, you could go to the tiny bathroom, "my" very bland room, or my brother's messy room. All the rooms had white walls. This wasn't a place for kids.

I walked back into the living room. I felt like an inconvenience. I sat on the couch, trying to not look too glum. I didn't want to make Taylor upset, just because I was a little sad. I went into the kitchen where he was and sat at the two-seater table.

"So, when's Dubbledorf supposed to be here?" I asked tapping my foot nervously.

"It's Dumbledore. _Professor _Dumbledore. And he should be here soon. Maybe 10 minutes? He wanted to freshen up a bit before meeting you."

"Alrighty. I'm going to go check out my room and get things in order."

I got up and went to the room I was staying in. I went right over to my trunk to begin the changes. I was only going to be here for three days, but I knew of a lot of people who lost their personalities after tragedies, and that wasn't going to be me. I like my personality. I am who my parents made me to be, and I'm not going to let all their hard work go to waste.

I put all of my books, notebooks, pens, and all that fun stuff out on my desk. I set up my parents' pictures up on my bedside table. I put all of my clothes in the drawers too, just to make it feel homier. I looked the room once over, nodded in satisfaction, and went back into the living room.

My brother and I sat on the couch together for maybe two seconds, and we heard a pop. A tall, very lean old man was standing before us. He had very long white hair down to his waist with a very long beard to match. His electric blue eyes were swiveling around, before deciding to land on me. He gave me a smile that made me feel really important. He just had this air about him. It's hard to explain.

"Adena, dear, please don't look so frightened. I'm really a nice old man." He said giving me that same smile, not unlike one a grandfather would give their favorite grandchild.

"I'm not frightened. I'm pleased to meet you. Professor" I said hastily holding out my hand for him to shake. He shook back the long sleeves of his thick robe and shook my hands with his. He had a surprisingly firm grip.

"And to you, my dear. Now, let's get this rolling. I assume you already know you will be attending Hogwarts on September 1st, is that correct?"

"Yes sir. I'm very excited" I said sinking back onto the couch.

He followed my lead. "Yes, yes, very well. In Hogwarts, we are….for lack of a better word divided into houses. Your house is like your family. You eat with them, sleep in your house dormitory, and attend classes with people in your grade in your house. You stay in your house for all of your years at Hogwarts. Are you following?"

"Yes sir, I understand. Does it matter what house you're in?" I asked, getting a little worried.

"To some. To others, it's not that big of a deal. There are four houses. There's Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. " he said ticking them off on his bony fingers. He talked like he was still a teenager, but he seemed so much wiser. Like, a very mature, cool teenager.

"How are the houses determined?" I asked curious.

"By our dear old friend here, the Sorting Hat." He said pulling a very worn and patched up hat from the pocket of his robes.

I really didn't know what to expect, but I put on the hat as he instructed me to, and sat very still. I jumped about a foot into the air when it started speaking to me.

"My goodness, you have quite the brain here. You are awfully loyal, and I see you doing good things. You aren't very cunning, though. Actually, for the surprising amount of intelligence here, there is no talent at lying. Interesting…."

He continued to pick through my brain piece until he shouted "RAVENCLAW".

My brother and Professor Dumbledore both applauded politely. I think Dumbledore actually winked at me.

"Well", said Dumbledore briskly, "I have quite a bit of boring business to attend to. And, as sad as I am to go so soon, I must be leaving. Good luck, dear Adena. I am honored to be the first to say: Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Thank you, Professor." I said with a sincere smile. In spite of all that had happened in the last few days, this meeting with my new headmaster had actually gone decently. I was genuinely excited to start school at this legendary location.

With that, he turned on the spot and disapparated out of my brother's living room.


	5. Chapter 5

After Professor Dumbledore left, I looked over at my brother. He had a ridiculous smirk on his face.

"You think this is funny, huh?" I said sternly, but I had a smile on my face from what I just experienced, so I'm not sure it had the effect I was going for.

"I think it's hilarious. Dumbledore is practically the greatest sorcerer in the world. He just appeared in my living room, sorted my sister into her house, disappeared and left her with the strangest look on her face. I find it quite funny."

I jokingly glared at him. "Alright, you're real funny. I'm going to my room to gather my thoughts. Let me know when lunch is ready." I heard him shout about the headmaster sending someone to pick me up in the morning to go to Diagon Alley, but I just stalked off into my room and sat on my bed. I tried thinking everything through, but with all the thoughts crammed into my head, I needed to write it down.

I grabbed a piece of paper and began scribbling down my thoughts vigorously. I finished and looked over the paper. This is what I found:

Sorted into Ravenclaw.

Going to Diagon Alley in the morning. Escort.

Going to Hogwarts

Living with Taylor

Parents dead

Parents dead

Parents dead

I was surprised to find that my parents were on my list. I didn't remember writing them down. I just shrugged my shoulders and moved on. I gathered what I had for clothes and put them back in the suitcase. If I'm right, school starts in three days. I don't like being late for anything, so I got everything together. Leaving out only clothes for the next three days, I repacked everything else I wouldn't need from now until I leave.

I had just finished checking everything twice, when my brother called me out for lunch. We had salads and soup with Italian bread, which he knows is my favorite. We talked about his life here in Britain. We talked about his job being the Minister's assistant at the Ministry of Magic. We talked about school and how we thought tomorrow was going to go. We just talked and talked for about forty-five minutes.

I cleaned up afterwards and did the dishes. He went off to his room to do paper work. I sat down and wrote to Emily. I missed her so much already. It wasn't going to be the same without being able to give her a look when she says the same thing as me, at the same time, and have it be mirrored on her face. It wasn't going to be the same without her to tell my every thought and not feel like an idiot, because I know I'm not the only one thinking that. She was my partner in crime and I missed her so much.

After writing Emily, I lie in my bed and read for a little while. I read a muggle book about a girl who is thirteen and moves around a lot. Her family is all screwed up. Her mom and dad are separated and her dad's in jail. Her mom is always fighting with everyone else, including her and she is really stressed about it. I liked the book. It was really suspenseful and I liked reading books that had me wanting to keep reading and never put the book down.

Sometime later, I wake to find I've fallen asleep with my head in my book, which happens surprisingly often. I stand up and brush myself off. I look at the analog clock on my wall to find it's about 3:30a.m. I take off my dark jeans and put them in a pile to be washed before I leave for school. I put on some flannel pajama pants and took off my T-shirt, so I could finish my sleeping comfortably.

My stomach growled and I laughed. I hadn't eaten dinner, but I really was too tired now to make anything. I lay back down on my bed, removing the book from it and folding the corner to mark my page. I set it on the ground next to me and covered myself up. I immediately fell back asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

_I was running. How fast, how far, and for how long? I wasn't sure. But I was running. My lungs ached from exertion. My breathing was short and fast to keep the blood pumping to the muscles in my limbs, so they could keep working. I felt like they were going to fall off. _

_The place I was running to was unfamiliar. I couldn't be sure where I left, or where I was now. I was in a forest someplace, but my path seemed to be cleared for me. They walls of trees on both sides of me were tall, too tall to see over. In front of me was a mist that kept me from seeing more than 10 feet in front of me._

_"Adena…" I heard my name called throughout the trees on the left side of me. I stopped where I was, skidding to a halt, hurting my bare feet on the dusty dirt and rocks I was running on. I must have been too pumped with adrenaline to notice it before._

_"Adena…" The whispery voice called again. I identified it to be a male's. I wasn't sure of the age. I shuffled toward the voice through the trees, in an almost hypnotized state. A hole in my tank top snagged a nearby branch, waking me from my daze. I realized what I was doing and just how reckless and naïve I was being. I started to draw back. Who knows who that is? But, if they don't know me, how did they know my name?_

_"Trust me, I'm an old friend", said the voice softly. "There's no need to fear me"._

_"If you're a friend, why won't you tell me who you are?" I called out sounding much braver than I felt._

_"Just come here!" shouted the voice, sounding much stronger than it had a minute ago. I turned around to retreat, but the trees around me pushed me roughly with their branches, ripping another hole in the jeans I was wearing._

_I was passed quickly from tree to tree until they brought me to a clearing in the woods. I looked ahead of me and saw a small pedestal raised above the fog, and on it was a cloaked figure._

_"What do you want with me?" I whispered, quite afraid._

_"To give you back what was once yours", said the voice sounding much less intimidating now. The cloaked figure slowly turned around, sweeping up the fog around the bottom of the robe and making it disperse in large waves. _

_When the male was fully turned towards me, he took down his hood. I caught quick glimpse of white skin and red eyes. I opened my mouth to scream-_

I jolted awake in my bed to find myself screaming. I looked at my hands to find them twisted in my blanket. My knuckles were white from how tight I'd been holding on. I untangled them and sat up, rubbing my eyes. I stretched my arms up and ruffled my burgundy hair.

I threw my blankets off and slid out of bed. I glanced in the little mirror I had set up at my desk. My grass green eyes were bright and wide. My straight hair, which usually is flipped out about an inch above my shoulder, was stuck up all over the place. I clearly hadn't been sleeping very peacefully.

I grabbed my brush off the end table next to my bed and ran it through my snarly hair. I would definitely need a shower before my "escort" arrived.

I checked the time to find it was 7:45a.m. I bolted to the shower, not knowing exactly when my guide was to be here, therefore, not knowing when I should be ready.

I rushed through my shower and blow-dried my hair in my room. I grabbed a pair of green cargo pants. I threw on a black camisole and glanced in the mirror at my slender frame. I wasn't more that 5'2" and my long slender fingers were wrapped on my hips. I took one of them and traced the structure of my angular face and pointed chin. My full lips stood out against my very pale skin. I shrugged my shoulders and walked out of my room.

Taylor was sitting in the living room sipping his soda. My brother wasn't a big coffee drinker. Actually, he didn't drink almost anything other than soda. He was just kind of quirky that way.

"Hey kiddo" he said setting down _the Daily Prophet_ that he'd been reading.

"Hiya" I said stretching and yawning. I walked over and plopped down on the couch. "When is my escort supposed to be here again?" I said smiling brightly. He saw through me immediately.

"You don't have to pretend. How many times am I going to have to tell you that? He should be here in like 10 minutes."

"You know who it is then?" I inquired.

"Yes, not that I'm going to tell you", he said smirking.

"How come?" I asked lightly.

"I want to see the look on your face when he gets here."

"I'm afraid."

"Don't be. He's just a big teddy bear. Go get your shoes on and be ready when he gets here."

"Okay…" I said hesitantly. I ran back to my room and grabbed my combat boots with wool interior out of the little closet I'd put them in. I grabbed my thin ankle socks and slipped them on. While tying my boots, I thought about what my escort was going to look like.

I imagined this short little wizard with tufts of white hair around the brim of his hat. I imagined him with a squeaky voice and luminescent blue robes. I laughed at my imagination and went back out the living room.

"I've put the galleons I got from our account on the coffee he said nodding his head towards a little cloth bag filled with shiny, gold coins. I tied the bag to my waist with the drawstring and sat back down to wait for this mystery man.

It seemed like only seconds had passed by when we heard a knock on the door. I thought this was a very strange thing for a magical person to do. Most of the time, they just apparate in and that's that. Maybe this person thought that would be rude?

My brother answered the door and the biggest man I had ever seen walked through it, ducking to get his head through. I almost fell backwards at the shocking sight that met my eyes. A man with a wild mane of black hair, a full beard and the kindest black eyes you've ever seen was gazing steadily at me. He had hands the size of my whole body! My jaw dropped open, but I closed it quickly.

"Oy, you must be Adeeena. Nice to mee' ya", he said in a deep, gruff voice, extending a hand.

"It's Adena. Nice to meet you too Mr…." I said shaking his hand. Well, his hand shook. My whole arm shook. I could hear Taylor snickering.

"I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Most jus' call me Hagrid tho", he said smiling.

"Oh, alright then Hagrid", I said smiling really wide. He seemed really nice, like a gentle giant. Hey, maybe he was a giant? Who knows?

"Well, we should prob'ly get goin' then. Say goodbye to ya brother there and we'll head out"

I went over to my brother and hugged him. "Thanks for everything" I whispered.

"No problem. Have fun kid", he whispered back.

We let go and I walked over to Hagrid. "Alrighty, I'm set. Let's get goin'"

We walked out of my brother's apartment building and walked down the street like the odd pair that we were. We turned onto a street and walked down to a little bus stop. We got on the bus and took it downtown.

We got off near a bunch of shops that were all looking a bit rundown. He led me down to a little pub that looked sadly forgotten. He waltzed right in like he owned the place and I trailed behind him. We walked up to the bartender where Hagrid loudly stated that he had important business to do and he couldn't be bothered for drinks today. The bartender looked slightly puzzled as he hadn't said anything about drinks, but he just nodded and let Hagrid through.

We walked to the back of the pub and went down a hall to enter a closet. The only thing in the closet was a couple of black trash bins and a brick wall. I didn't see how this could be of much importance, so I looked around for something else with more significance. He pulled out a light pink umbrella that seemed to be fairly damaged and tapped the bricks on the wall in a particular pattern. I was really confused, but I'd come too really like Hagrid, so I waited for something to happen.

All of a sudden, the wall seemed to disintegrate. A bright light hit my eyes and my jaw dropped for the second time in an hour and a half.

**A/N: How do you think I did on Hagrid's dialogue?**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Disclaimer- I do not own anything Harry Potter related, but I do own the story line and Adena.**

**Super, super, super sorry about the late update guys! I kept rewriting this one. I wanted to get it right. I probably should have rewritten it one more time, but I really needed to update. Enjoy! -WW**

The first thing I noticed was the people. All different color robes, some carrying different shaped packages to be taken somewhere. They were bustling about, like little worker bees, all content on getting their tasks completed.

The next thing I noticed was the shops. They were lined up down the streets all in a row. There was no room between them; they were wall to wall. They were mostly brick, and all of them looked pretty old. There were posters splattered all over windows, in many different colors.

Hagrid put a giant finger under my chin and closed my mouth for me. I flushed, embarrassed. We had magic shops in America, but most of them were very discreet. Some were disguised as antique shops or sheds with muggle repellent spells, or some were hidden from muggles by enchantments. Nothing was quite this big or loud or stand-out-ish…..I really can't find the right word.

"Adena, you're as bad as a muggle," Hagrid said play-scolding me. I smiled up at him and stepped out into the bright sun. I felt it warm my face. I beamed even brighter and began striding forward. Hagrid stepped out with me and I started to get pushed around by the crowd. Hagrid got ahead of me easily, since no one was going to push this huge man around. I decided to walk in his footsteps, literally.

I already had a wand, cauldron, and I didn't really need to spend the money on a pet. The things I really needed to get my school books and robes. So far, I needed to get books for Astronomy, Charms, and Defense against the Dark Arts, Herbology, History of Magic, Potions, Transfiguration, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes. I looked up at Hagrid.

"Holy crap, they really don't hesitate on loading you with classes, do they?" I said with my luminescent eyes bugging out of my head when I read the list.

He sort of chortled at my expression. "Well, they 'ave to ge' you prepared for your O.W.L.s next year. They can be pretty difficult, ya know"

"We didn't have O.W.L.s back home. We had C.A.T.T.s. That's the acronym for Creating Amazing Things Test. We focused mainly on Transfiguration back home."

_Home. No Adena. Don't think about it. _

We came to the entrance of a book store. There was a big, old sign that said "Flourish and Blotts". The windows were stacked with books. "Is this where I'm going to get my books?" I asked.

"Yep. This's the place. Come on now", Hagrid said with his gruff voice.

We stepped in and I started coughing and sneezing. This place had dust all over. Hagrid started pulling the books off shelves that I needed. He had to have me read the titles off to him for some, though. I started wandering. I saw all sorts of interesting people. Some of them looked to be about my age. I wondered if they would be going to school with me. I saw all sorts of interesting books, too. I saw blank books, oozing books, smoking books, books on every subject, and I even saw I book that I would swear winked at me.

We left and wandered into a few little stores that weren't quite as crowded and bought miscellaneous quills and parchment. We bought enough envelopes to last me for about two months of writing Taylor and Emily. All of the shops were really cute, and no one was particularly mean.

We also bought robes. I tried on plain black ones that were so long they almost swept the floor when I walked. We got them cut down and my house emblem sewn in to them. We also bought mittens and a scarf with my house colors on them. I was really excited.

We walked over to the ice cream shop and ate ice cream while Hagrid told me about Hogwarts. He started talking about the teachers. I thought I would really like Professors Flitwick and Sprout. They seemed really nice. I really couldn't wait to meet McGonagall. I loved Transfiguration, and she seemed like the kind of teacher who would make sure everyone understood what was happening.

He also talked about Harry Potter. I knew all about him, of course, but I never really had thought about meeting him. I bet he was super popular. I didn't really know what I was going to do if I came face to face with him. I probably would just turn this infamous bright red (which clashed with my burgundy hair horribly) and not be able to talk. What if he was really mean? Wow, now I was extremely nervous for the first day. Well, we're in different houses, so maybe I wouldn't see him? Who knows?

Hagrid also told me about Harry Potter's friends. Ronald seemed really funny and Hermione really sounded like my kind of girl. I'm really into studying and she is too, and I really like learning and it sounds like she does too, so I bet we'll get along great.

After we were finished, I paid for my ice cream and we left Diagon Alley. I was really sad to leave. I felt like I belonged in this kind of world. I never really noticed how the wizarding community was so cut off in America. I liked it being all together like this. I was happy to be here. I just wished my parents could have been here to see it.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Okay, so I'm just feeling really motivated. (Mostly thanks to Sue She. Thanks a whooole bunch!) I think I'm going to really set up for the next chapter here, so don't kill me if this chapter isn't action packed. Thanks to my seemingly only viewers Sue She and You-Are-A-Fridge-With-Wingss. You're the best, you know it, and you do the best hair flip I've ever seen! **

**Okay, now to continue the story…..**

When I got home, after sharing my incredible trip with my brother, I went to my room and set everything up in my trunk. I was so excited to be going to Hogwarts. I just wished I wasn't going because of the death of my parents. My circumstances sucked.

The next day, I got up to find Taylor at work. I made myself eggs and toast for breakfast, and I cleaned the entire house. Top to bottom. Call me crazy, but that's what I do in my spare time, especially when I'm avoiding dealing with an issue.

Reading is another way I avoid my problems. I dug out my book about that girl and her sad story. I lost myself in her problems and thought about the way I would solve them. It really helped me feel like I accomplished something, even though I really hadn't done anything productive in my world.

Eventually, after I'd read myself cross-eyed and cleaned until my fingers were raw, I knew I wasn't going to be able to do it anymore. I broke. I was in my room, reorganizing my trunk for the third time, when a piece of paper caught my eye. I bent down to pick it up, and I read it. It was my list of things that were crowding my brain. That's what broke me, seeing the thing that I had been trying to avoid all day, written down on paper in my handwriting.

I sat down on my bed and started crying. I cried and cried, my body shaking with sobs, until it seemed a greater force had shut off my tear flow. I kept crying without the tears. I must have cried like that for an hour. When I was finished, my face was flushed and my mouth was dry. The tear trails had dried on my face. I had refused to wipe them off. I was told to never wipe them away when you weren't finished crying.

I got up and went to the bathroom mirror. I saw my red, irritated eyes, and my red cheeks. My mouth was slightly open, and my fingers touched the sore skin around my eyes. Right where most people get bags under their eyes when they don't sleep, my eyes get sore after crying. I took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom to get some water.

I tramped into the kitchen and ungracefully threw open the cabinet and grabbed a glass. I filled it all the way up with water, and I downed it. And I did it again. And again. And again. When I get anxious, I drink TONS of water. After I had finished my binging, I washed the glass and placed it carefully back where it was.

I felt better. Letting it all out really just makes the load feel lighter. As much as I don't like crying, I had to admit that.

I went back to my room, and I sat down at my desk to write Emily. I poured out my heart, like I always do to her. I can't help it. I wrote down all about my trip to Diagon Alley, living with Taylor, and how I was feeling about my parents. That took up about 2 hours and 3 sheets of paper.

I decided to get a head start on dinner for Taylor. He figured that a grilled cheese on a paper plate was good for dinner, and maybe it was. For a 20-year-old. But me? I had grown up with my mother's cooking, and even if she was gone, I wasn't about to give it up.

I set out real glass plates and glass glasses. I started boiling angel hair pasta and thought about what I was going to make with it. I decided on some garlic and butter noodles (since I wasn't a pro yet) and some garlic bread. I really love garlic. I put the garlic bread in the oven and grabbed the garlic powder and butter. Once everything was cooked, I mixed the butter and garlic in with the pasta and served it up.

When Taylor walked in, I was putting a heaping pile of pasta on his plate. He smiled and hung up his robes.

"Shoes off", I said play-sternly. He laughed and put his hands up in surrender.

"Okay, okay, no need to get your wand in a knot"

He sat down and wafted the fumes over toward him. "Now this I could get used to".

I smiled and dug in. I hadn't eaten lunch, and crying takes a surprising amount out of you.

"How was work?" I asked hoping he wouldn't go into an entire speech about it. I mean, I love my brother, but I was only doing this to be nice.

"Well, the minister is frantic about the whole deal at the World Cup and with _his _house-elf being charged, he's really stressing out…."

At this point, I really started to zone out. This is what I had been hoping to avoid. I started day dreaming about Hogwarts. Then I started daydreaming about meeting the "Golden Trio", while mechanically eating my pasta. I was so excited.

After dinner, I cleaned up and did the dishes. Taylor and I watched the little TV set he had until about 7:30. From there, I got up and went to my room. I gathered my letters and sent them off with my brother's owl Harold. He was a cute, tawny owl that was really dependable.

After that, I got in the shower and washed all the stress of the day away. I got out feeling clean, happier, and ready for a nap. I changed, hopped in bed and glanced at the clock. It was about 8:15. I blinked, and the next time I opened my eyes it was daylight.

I jolted awake. I was sweating and panting hard. I sat up and glanced around. Taylor was at work again. I swung my feet over the edge of my bed and figured I would get a start on the day.

The next day passed with an almost exact agenda as the day before. I cooked, I cleaned, and I read, I cooked again, I cleaned again, and I showered again. The only thing different, is I didn't cry. I think (and hope) I got that all out of my system yesterday.

When I went to bed that night and I couldn't stop thinking about the next day. I would be boarding the train. I would be going to Hogwarts. I already had everything packed and had quadruple checked it. I was so nervous. I really hoped I would fit in. I really hoped the curriculum wouldn't be too difficult. But with me being in Ravenclaw, it shouldn't be too hard to keep up. The thing I was most worried about, however, was knowing I wouldn't have my mom to confide in when I was having problems. I fell asleep thinking about hidden passages in a castle somewhere hidden.

I woke up to Taylor yelling at me to get up. He had told his boss he would go into work late, so he could take me to the station. He grabbed my trunk, threw my clothes at me and rushed me to get dressed. I glanced at the clock. It was 8 a.m. We had three hours before the train left! And he was rushing me! I walked into the bathroom and locked myself in there.

From there, I spent about an hour and a half mentally and physically preparing myself. I started off slipping on some darker jeans that hugged my hips. I then slipped on a black hoodie sweatshirt. I grabbed my straightener and flipped my hair out the way I like. I have charms that do it, but straightening it is so much easier. Plus, I was out of school. I slid on my combat boots and got to work on my makeup.

I put a bit of blush on to accent my sharp jaw line, first. Then I put on eyeliner with slight wings to bring out the point to my eye shape. I put on mascara to thicken my long eyelashes. I put on my strawberry chapstick for good luck and walked out the door.

Taylor was drinking his soda with _The Daily Prophet_. You could tell he was nervous as well. "Are you all prettied up now?" he asked tapping his foot.

"Yeah, I'm ready. How long will it take to get there?"

"A minute at the most. We're apparating to the alley next to the train station. We'll then put you on the Hogwarts Express and send you off."

"Alright then. When are we leaving?"

"We're going to leave around 10:30, just in case we get slowed down for some reason, or something."

Now it was my turn to tap my foot. "Okay, so I just got up at 8 to catch a train that doesn't leave 'till 11? I could have slept in!"

He smiled. "Well, we all know how long it can take you to put your face on, and I didn't want to be late".

He was referring to my makeup. My family is convinced I wear pounds and pounds of makeup, when I really don't!

"Whatever. I'm going to do some double-checking." I said rolling my eyes.

"Haven't you done enough of that already?" he asked incredulously.

"You can never be too sure", I replied.

I went back into my room to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. I double-checked my trunk to make sure I had all my pictures, clothes, books, and anything else I might forget. After I'd done that, I tried to keep my mind occupied. If I don't keep my mind occupied in a situation like this, I start to make myself really nervous.

I paced, and listened to my brother's little radio. Finally, he called me out to grab his arm. I reached out with one hand, holding tight to his forearm and my trunk. I had that terrible tube-slide sensation again, and when I opened my eyes, we were on the busy streets of the train station where I would be taken off to Hogwarts.

I looked up at Taylor, and he smiled down at me encouragingly. I smiled back and we walked in together. We walked to a trolley for me. I never let go of Taylor's arm.

We wheeled the heavy, shiny trolley all the way down to platforms 9 and 10. I looked up at the clock and it said 10:40. We still had plenty of time, but I couldn't see the platform that _we_ were supposed to be on. I looked up at my brother, confused. He grabbed the trolley and said, "Follow my lead".

I watched with interest as he looked around him, and then started running too fast towards the pillar between the platforms. Honestly, I didn't think my brother could be dumb enough to run straight into a wall without stopping, but if he was, I wasn't about to stop him. Right when he should have been running straight into pure brick, he seemed to melt into it and go straight through. My mouth opened, and I looked around. No one else seemed to notice.

I made a quick decision and set myself up to follow my brother. I looked around to make sure no one was watching, and started speed walking straight toward the wall. I looked right at it and it looked dangerously solid, but I kept walking. I broke into a run, hearing my steps pound on the pavement. When I got to the wall, I put my arms out, but they went right through. And so did I.


	9. Chapter 9

I heard an extremely loud train whistle cut through the steam-filled room. There were people all over the place, bustling about trying to get everyone on the train. I looked over at my brother and grasped his arm again. I looked up at the clock. I had 15 minutes to be on the train, but I wanted to get a seat on my own, so I figured now was the time to say good bye.

I gripped him in a tight hug and swallowed to try to push the lump in my throat down. He patted my head and squeezed me. I sighed into his shoulder and stepped back.

"Good luck Deni", he said using his long-forgotten pet name for me from when we were really little.

"Thanks TJ. I'll see you at Christmas." I said grabbing my trunk and hauling the awkwardly heavy thing down the concrete floor of the platform quickly. I wiped my eyes and stepped on the train.

I headed straight to the back of the overly-luxurious train. I grabbed the second to last compartment before anyone else could snatch it from me. 'Cause I'm selfish that way.

I went back to one of the windows I saw in the hallway. I looked out it to see Taylor looking up at the train, shielding his eyes. I saluted at him and he returned it. From there, he turned on the spot and vanished. I smiled a little smile, and I went back to my compartment.

The compartment had plush, maroon seats with a peculiar little star pattern, and there was a window on the far wall, but all you could see out of it was the other side of the platform. Sitting on one seat, was an interesting looking girl. She seemed a little out of place in the compartment. She had a waterfall of blonde waves that came down to her small waist, and big, bright gray eyes set spectacularly against her pale skin. She was very pretty, and despite her awkward presence, I figured she would be a nice girl. She had her wand tucked behind her ear, and she was holding an interesting-looking newspaper upside-down.

"Hi", I said tentatively. This was the first girl I was meeting at Hogwarts, so I didn't want to screw this up. "I like your necklace."

She glanced up at me and grabbed her necklace of butterbeer caps. "Hello there. Thank you. What's your name?"

"I'm Adena Browning. What's your name? And what year are you in?"

"Luna. I'm a third year. Do you need a place to sit?"

"Oh, I'm a fourth year. My trunk is already on the rack" I said point up to my belongings.

"Oh, well, then let's sit together!" she said smiling. I smiled back at her, much more comfortable. She seemed to be a happy person, which would balance out well with my pessimistic attitude.

"Sure", I said reaching up for my trunk. I pulled out my Potions book and started reading where I left off. We sat in silence for a minute before I heard someone walk in. An awkward looking boy started to speak softly.

"Hello Luna"

"Hi Neville. How was your summer?" Luna asked

"It was alright. Gran didn't want to go to the World Cup, so hearing about it kinda sucks, but I think I'm going to go grab a compartment with Seamus and Dean. I'll see you later."

"I can imagine. Well, it was nice seeing you Neville. Oh, I almost forgot, this is Adena. She's a fourth year in Ravenclaw. She'll be going to school with us from now on."

Neville gave me a shy smile. "Nice to meet you Adena."

"It's nice to meet you too, Neville." And with that, he walked out.

When the train pulled in, I waited for everyone else to leave before I left. I quickly followed the crowd of everyone not in first year to these horseless carriages, waiting to take us all to the school. I found couldn't find Luna, so I found Neville, and we entered a carriage with two boys and a girl. I hopped in and sat next to Neville, across from everyone else. I decided to humor myself and make the first move. Seeing as this was unlike me, I was very proud of myself.

"Hello" I said nodding at the three sitting across from us.

"Hi, I'm Hermione. What's your name?" said the girl in the middle of the boys. She had poufy brown hair and her teeth were a little bucked, but she had glowing brown eyes that made her look interested in whatever she was thinking about.

"I'm Adena. I see you all are Gryffindors." I said looking at the patches on their robes.

"You bet we are. 'Where dwell the brave at heart'!" said the boy with the flaming hair.

"And, you are…?" I asked.

"Ron Weasley" he said grinning. The tips of his ears were a little red. It seemed as if he was flushing, but it was all going to his ears. I gave him a little smile back. That made his ears redder.

"And I'm Harry Potter" said Harry. He had a little smile on his face, too. He held his hand out, and I shook it. He had a surprisingly loose grasp, so I tightened my grip. He did, too. Then, I smiled.

"Nice to meet you all. I'm a Ravenclaw. Where dwell the witty know-it-alls." I said rolling my eyes. They all glanced at Hermione. I looked over at her, puzzled.

"Oh, I am not!" she exclaimed throwing her hands up. I looked at Ron, still confused.

"What's going on?" I asked with my eyebrows furrowed. I tucked my short red bangs behind my ear and sat back, folding my arms.

"Erm….Hermione is….very…involved in class. And she's good at it!" he said looking over at Hermione like she was going to hit him. She sighed and sat back also.

"I just love learning. And books" she said with an afterthought.

"Then why aren't you in Ravenclaw?" I asked curiously.

"The Sorting Hat did put serious thought into it. He just seemed to think it would be better for me in the end if I went into Gryffindor, and it's turned out alright for me so far" she said looking at Ron and Harry and in turn punching their shoulders. They both cried out.

"Was that your attempt at being friendly" asked an angry Ron.

"Yes, so get over it" said Hermione, looking out the window. I laughed and Ron looked over at me. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing" I said quickly and unconvincingly. Neville smiled at me, and began to explain the castle to me. He described it very well, and I began to get a picture in my mind of what we would be arriving to soon. His description could have never prepared me for what I saw when the carriages pulled up to my new school.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I don't own anything except Adena! It's all J. K. Rowling's! I don't do those too often, so I thought I'd throw one in there.**

The castle was _**huge**_! Its dark stones and tall, winding towers stood out against the black sky. The castle sat on the edge of an enormous lake that had about a hundred little boats floating on it. The lanterns in each boat made me think of a highway.

The carriages pulled up to a set of extremely tall wooden doors. I felt as if I had been shrunken, because everything in and around this castle was seemingly way bigger than it should have been. The doors opened to reveal a dimly lit stone hallway just to complete the medieval scene in front of me. A slim, elderly witch in emerald green robes was standing in front of us. She had her hair pulled back in a tight bun, and she seemed extremely strict.

She led us into the Great Hall, a place where the students eat and converse on a daily basis. We were then pelted with water balloons by the poltergeist that I come to know as Peeves. The very annoyed professor sat us down according to house. I was sad to see my new friends go, and I reluctantly followed students wearing the same logo on their robes as me. I specifically followed an airy girl with long, white-blonde hair that trailed down her back. I sat next to her too, but I don't think she noticed. She was particularly interested in the details of the laces on her shoes. So interested, in fact, that she had her sneakers up on the long, wooden table. I found this odd, but I didn't comment, for I didn't want to offend the girl.

I looked around at the magnificent hall around me. There were gold plates and goblets as far as my eyes could see. There were a million candles floating as if suspended in mid air. The hall appeared to be open to the clear night sky, but I already knew it was bewitched. There were four tables for all four houses and a table facing all of the other ones way up in the front for all of the teachers. Most of the teachers were already seated, with Dumbledore in the middle.

Dumbledore stood up to make a speech. He welcomed us all back for another exciting year. The witch who walked us in stood up and started reading names off a long list. The names belonged to first years that were just beginning at Hogwarts like I was. I was very grateful that I had done my sorting in the privacy of my home, for some of the first years looked like they wanted to pass out, while others looked extremely relieved that all they had to do was put on a hat. Once the sorting had finished, food appeared before us on the table. The other students didn't seem all that impressed, but I gawked at the filled table. The blonde girl next to me turned to me and stared for a moment.

"It's not going anywhere, you know", she said. I found her voice to be as airy as her disposition.

I looked up at her. "I know. It just amazes me how all of you seem so used to food just appearing like that", I said snapping my fingers.

She smiled at me gently. "It's okay; it took me a minute to get used to it, too. I'm Luna." She shook my hand and I smiled back.

"I'm Adena. What year are you?"

"I'm a third year. I've heard you're a fourth year."

"Yeah, where'd you hear that from?"

"Word of new people gets around. Don't worry about it; rumors have never quite stopped about me. It's something I've learned to live with. Now, dig in. You must be starving."

I was starving. I piled my plate and looked back at my new friends. A ghost was conversing with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He said something that seemed to appall Hermione. She then pushed her plate away and refused to look at it. Harry looked at me and gave me an amused look. I smiled back and turned to my plate. I ate vigorously for the rest of the meal, which included a fabulous dessert of treacle tart. I finished, pushed my plate away and rubbed my belly. After stuffing myself with amazing food, I was exhausted. I looked up tiredly at Dumbledore who looked like he wanted to make another speech.

"So, now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming yo-yo's, Fanged Frisbees and Ever Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises of some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe…" he continued on, but at this point I began to zone out. I didn't really begin to play attention until the sky changed.

There was a loud boom of thunder and a flash of lightning as a man stepped out from the doorway. He had a mangled face and a wooden leg. He had patchy, pale blonde hair and one electric blue eye that swiveled 360 degrees in its socket. I felt as if it could see all the way through me. Dumbledore announced that this was Professor Moody, and that he was going to be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year. From what I've been told, Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers never lasted long here since You-Know-Who graduated from here. The new teacher frightened me a bit, but I knew I would need to get used to him, so I tried to brush it off. Dumbledore continued on, and I started paying attention. I learned that Hogwarts would be hosting a wizarding competition called the Triwizard Tournament. Dumbledore gave us the rules, regulations, and warnings that you could expect with a competition like this coming. He also informed us about new students arriving soon. It made me feel relieved knowing I wouldn't be the only older student who was new to Hogwarts.

We were then sent off to bed. A knob-less door was the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room which was located at the top of an extremely long spiral staircase. The eagle-knocker was the only thing on the door. It asked a question, and an older student answered it. It then let us all in.

The common room was a large, circular room with midnight blue carpet, furnished by chairs and tables. The ceiling was a dome and it was painted with stars. The windows had deep blue and gold drapes hung and there were bookcases all over the place. The windows and an excellent view of the grounds, and there was a marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw at the entrance to the dormitories.

I, accompanied by a bundle of other students, headed straight up the stair and into the dormitory. I found a door that said "Girls: Year 4" and I walked right in. There were six beds in a circular room. All of the furnishings were midnight blue and gold, matching the common room. The drapes on the bed were the same blue as the rest of the room, embedded with small, gold stars. I waltzed over to my bed, changed into my sleep clothes and fell asleep before the other girls even entered the room.


End file.
